Switch-actuating apparatus



` whichl UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE T. JANVRIN AND FRANK J. OONLON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

swlToH-'AoTuATINe APPARATUS;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 542,980, dated l'ulyy 16, 1895.

Application nea December 12,1894. Aseau 110.531.565. (No motel.) l

.To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that we, GEORGE T. J ANVRIN and FRANK J. C ONLON, citizens of the United States, and residents of Brooklyn, in the county of Kingsland State of New York, have inventedl certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Actuating Apparatus, of

which the following is a specification.

Our invention consists of improvements in apparatus used on a car underthe control of the motorrnan' for actuating the switch, as. hereinafter fully described, reference being' made to the aoco panyiug drawings, in

Figurel is a side elevation of part of a car provided with ourim proved switch-operating apparatus, part of which is represented in section, and one switch-operating roll is represented in the position for use. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesame with a part broken out. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of part of the car and front View of the apparatus with one of the switch-operating rolls in the position for use. Fig. 4 is a detail of the apparatus for supporting the switch-operating rolls in the working position on a large scale.v Fig. 5 is a detail of the levers for working the apparatus in section on line @c :vof Fig. 2 on a larger scale;- and Fig. 6 is a plan of the motormans foot-lever, also on a larger scale.

The apparatus is of the character employed where the switch-point is so connected with a Vertical pushstud, as a, located each side of shifted either wayaccording as one or the track, that it will be that is, opened or closed the other of said push-studs is forced down by a roll or other device on the car made to act on the push-stud at the will of the motorman. The means whereby the switch-pointf and the push-studs are so connected form nopart of theinvention herein claimed, and need not therefore vbe shown or described.

'According to my improvements of the switch actuating apparatus carried on the car, the rolls b, one for each side for effecting the downthrusts, are pivoted at one extremity of a staff c for each roll, the other extremity of which staff is pivoted to the under side of the car-body, as at d, so that'the staff will hang vertically, asin Fig. l, when allowed to do so, and will then carry the roll b at such `the platform height that in passing the head of the push stud it will thrustthepushlstud down and actuate the switch-point, the stad being supported against a stop e, opposing the tendency of the resistance of the push-stud toforce it backward of its operative position in the verticalline. Afterthusactuatingthepush-stud the staff is to be swung upward near the under side of the car, where itis secured by the hook -f and retained until required to be let fall again for further use. L f

The hook engages a stud b on thestaff in which the roll is pivoted to hold it up. The hooks are connected to the extremities, respectively, of a rock-lever h by chains i, which lever is suspended under the front portion of j on a vertical pivot lo, fitted in the platform for turning freely and having a socket in the upper end in which a rock-lever m, adapted to be thrust one way or the other by the motorman with his foot, is connected by a stud n of the lever inserted in said socket, so that the motorman can readily release either one of therolls at will by thrusting the corresponding arm of the foot-lever, and the other roll will remain in its inoperative position. The foot-lever is made thus detachable for removal from one end of the car to theother, as is common to other of the -motorrnans implements, and for like reasons.

For returning the rolls to the keeping of the hooks we mount the guard o, commonly used invadvance of the car-wheelsp, on, pivots q, so that it can be swung suitably for so returning the rolls, said guard taking eiect on the roll-staffs b y thestops e for resisting the thrusts of the push-studs on the stas; and for working the guard a short arm or other extension s of the guard above the pivots is connected by a rod twith the pendent arm u of a bell-crank pivoted at o and having its short arm tu extending forward under the pivot lc of the rock-lever lt, through which, said pivot being perforated axially, a pushpin x extends and rests on said arm near its extremity suitably for-the motorman to thrust the lever down by pressing on the head of the pin with his foot to operate the guard for raising the rolls.

' The guard is supported by stops y against being thrust backward beyond its normal polOO sition, said stops being suitably placed on the bar e' or other suitable part of the truck frame. The stops c to the roll-staffs are also contrived for jaws, one of which is pivoted, as at c', to open and receive the upturned member a of a keeper bprojecting from the rear side of each roll-stat`t, to stay the staff against lateral play through the effect of the shocks and jars to which it is subject when y in the working position, roll-staffs from swinging might from the same cause and also on downgrades, so that they might pass over the pushstuds a without effect on them. It is to be noticed that by reason of these keepers having the upturned parts et to be engaged by the jaws, also by the different positions of the pivots of the guard and of the stats, the jaws are selt-detaching from the keepers when returning the staffs to the normal position by rising upward away from the said upturned members of the keepers.

It is also to be noted that through the em ployment of the guard o for restoring the rollstaffs to the normal position both of said stais are alike subject to the one push-pin and the push-pin is actuated alike for each, which is simpler for the motorman and less liable to mistake than where different prime4 movers are employed for the different staffs. A spring e' is applied to the pivoted jaw e to close it on the part a of the keeper.

MWe claiml. In switch operating attachments to a car, the combination with roll carrying staffs pivoted to the car body, of the guard employed in the front of the car wheels, fixed in the relation to the said roll staffs to support the stads in the workin g position substantiall y as described.

2. In switch operating attachments to a car, the combination with the rolls, and the roll carrying staffs pivoted to the body of the car, of the guard employed in front of the car wheels, mounted on pivots and in the relation to said roll staffs to support them in the working position, and provided with means for restoring said roll staffs to the normal position substantially as described.

3. In switch operating attachments to a car,

also to prevent the v the combination with the rolls, and the roll carrying staifs pivoted to the body of the car, of the guard employed in front of the car wheels, arranged in the relation to said staffs, and provided with the stops for supporting said staffs against the thrusts of the pushforward., as they` studs of the switch apparatus substantially as described.

4. In switch operating attachments to a car, the combination with the rolls and the roll carrying staffs pivoted to the body of the car, of the guard employed in front of the car wheels, the keepers on the roll staffs, and the keeper engaging and holding jaws on the guard substantially as described.

5. In switch operating attachments to a car, the combination with the rolls and the roll carrying staffs pivoted to the body of the car, of the guard employed in front of the car wheels, mounted on pivots and in the relation to said roll stas to support them in the working position, the keepers on the roll stads, the keeper engaging holding and automatically detaching jaws on the guard, and means to actuate said guard for restoring the roll statls to the normal positions substantially as described.

6. In switch operating attachments to a car,

the combination with the rolls and the roll carrying staffs pivoted to the body of the car, of the guard employed in front of the car wheels, mounted on pivots and in the relation to the roll stas to support them inthe working position, and to restore them to the normal position, the hooks for engaging and retaining the roll staffs in the normal position, the elbow lever connected with the guard for operating it, and the pushpin for operating the elbow lever substantially as described.

7. In switch operatin g attachments to a car, the combination with the rolls and the roll carrying staffs pivoted to the body of the car, of the guard employed in front of the car wheels, mounted onpivots and in therelation to the roll staffs to support them in the working position and to restore ,them to the normal position, the hooks for engaging and retaining the rolls staffs in the normal position, the elbow lever connected with the guard for operating it, the push-pin for operating the elbow lever, and the hook detaching 'chains and foot lever connected with said hooks substantially as described.

Signed at New York city,in the county and State of New York, this 21st day of November, A. D. 1891.

GEORGE T. JANVRIN. FRANK J. CONLON.

Witnesses:

W. J. MORGAN, S. I-I. MORGAN. 

